The Why Factor

Separating the art from the artist

04.15.2019 - By BBC World ServicePlay

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Why can’t we judge art at face value? How does the identity, behaviour and cultural context of the artist play a part in how we approach their artwork? Edwina Pitman explores why we can’t seem to separate the art from the artist. Guests:

John Myatt, artist

Paul Bloom, Professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University

Michelle Hartney, artist

Lionel Shriver, novelist

Ananya Mishra, PhD researcher in English, University of Cambridge

Svetlana Mintcheva, Director of Programs, National Coalition Against Censorship, New York

Bob Sturm, Associate Professor in Speech, Music and Hearing at Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm Presented and Produced by Edwina Pitman

Editor: Richard Knight (Photo: Woman looking at the Pablo Picasso painting The Dream. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

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